Here's How Close a 1997 Dodge Viper Gets to Its Original Fuel Economy

Back when it was new, the second-generation Dodge Viper was the living embodiment of the phrase "there's no replacement for displacement." It used a massive, naturally aspirated 8.0-liter V10 that in GTS guise made 450 horsepower. Unsurprisingly, an engine that big wasn't particularly fuel efficient—the EPA rated it at 11 mpg city and 21 mpg highway.

But let's say you were to buy a second-gen Viper today. Is there any chance you'll be able to even get close to those numbers?

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Conveniently, Autotrader's Doug DeMuro recently bought a 1997 Dodge Viper GTS. And in his most recent video, he decided to spend a day figuring out exactly what kind of gas mileage his Viper actually gets.

Granted, we don't know his exact testing procedure. Heck, he could have easily been driving aggressively off-camera to drive down his final numbers. Or, it could all be made up. But if everything really is accurate, it's safe to say DeMuro's Viper gets horrendous gas mileage.

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Then again, what do you expect from a 20-year-old car with an 8.0-liter V10?

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